Church Architecture in Montreal During the British-Colonial Period, 1760-1860

Church Architecture in Montreal During the British-Colonial Period, 1760-1860

Abstract

The British Conquest changed the small Catholic trading post of Montreal into a town with a diversity of residents forced to live side-by-side. The author argues that the new church buildings erected between 1760 and 1860 became strategic public spaces as well as power bases for the different religious groups in Montreal. By examining the social, religious and architectural issues surrounding these religious structures, the author points out that Montreal was at the same time a shining jewel in England's imperial crown, a chief outpost of Catholicism in the new world, and the British North American headquarters for more than a dozen independent congregations.